SEGMENT SYNOPSIS

EPISODE #15: DOWN BELOW

PMK has the Midas Touch and sends Elisha 3,400 feet below the earth to discover how to get the gold out of ordinary rocks. She gets to set off the explosion that breaks the glittery gold off the mine walls and then helps to blast the rock with an underground jaw crusher, so the gold can be extracted. The stakes are high in this adventure and Elisha is going to have to get by the burly machinegun- toting security guards at the front door of the mine!

Did you ever wonder what it's like to spend a day at the world's only laboratory for marine science located right on the floor of the sea? Tyler finds out at Florida's Aquarius 2000 where he'll get to experience the adventure of a lifetime as an aquanaut. He'll study the coral reefs and swim with the underwater researchers at depths of up to 100 feet as they gather all kinds of data to help them understand the mysteries of the ocean.

When he dries off and gets back on land, Tyler heads deep into the subterranean reaches of the Spider Caves. No sunlight, no water and just a few nutrients make this one of the emptiest ecosystems on the planet. However, Tyler finds thousands and thousands of microscopic creatures when he probes the tiny nooks and crannies of the cave walls. Wearing elbow and knee pads and a hard hat with a powerful spotlight while hiking down a mile-long winding trail, he descends 10 feet to the first narrow opening, worming his way through a tight 50-foot passage. Once inside the cave, Tyler helps the scientists as they scrape off the gooey slime, which they use for all kinds of scientific research including possible clues to life on Mars.

Charlie really digs his job this week when he teaches us how to extract clay from the earth and actually build something from it as our ancestors once did.

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